Consensus on using Maiden Names

I see you're in the Project already! But basically --

1. establish the business rules
2. use some automation to apply them

Am I following you correctly?

Erica - You cannot follow tighter...

BTW - we need solutions for non-Latin names - that can be solved in a similar way

Yes, it would be most useful in conjunction with the translation project, perhaps?

I'm a member of that project too...
after working more than 20 years in data managment and user-interface - I think I can 'donate' few things to other genealogists...

It would be so nice. Some things I read, my database 101 teacher would be rolling over in his grave ... :>

In some cases the theory of computer-science makes simple things - more complicated.
In some of those cases doing the opposite will give the best solution - finding those cases was my main job in the last 12 years.
8-)

Not just women’s names are a problem, if you go back a few hundred years. Two of my English ancestors lived and owned property in the parish of Stopham, Sussex. One took the parish name as his surname and became Ralph de Stopham. The other called himself William Barttelot of Stopham. Eventually the families married, but the problem becomes more complex, for a later Ralph de Stopham married an Isabella whose family owned the manor of Linch, which he acquired jure uxoris, and he became Ralph de Stopham of Stopham & Linch. Until someone shows me an generally accepted alternative, I’m treating de Stopham and Barttelot as surnames and the “ofs” as suffixes. Men by definition can’t have maiden names (well, almost by definition), but as long as Geni has such a field I will use it as intended, although I prefer the birth name to be the unique identifier, as on Ancestry. (I know, adoption is a problem . I have a couple on my tree who adopted their servant’s children after her death – and the children had different fathers. In at least one case we know the name of the natural father, her first husband, so his name goes to the child, based on the old Latin maxim, “pater est ..”Oh, I’ve used that one before.)
According to one reference, it was unusual in 1100 for William’s father, Adam Barttelot, to have passed his surname to his son. Does anyone know about this?

James..eith on this site back a few pages or on 'new navigation' there was talk about requesting a predicator for last name: such as 'ap' ; 'de la', 'von'
etc...think your situation would fall into that category.....

It is confusing a lot of people and a lot put it into the middle name field (which obviously is no more correct that the suffix.)..but it is been talked about..

Adoption is also a standing project that Geni is aware of....there are a lot of cases where a family is wiped out and surviving children are taken in, and adopted, by a relative.....just as non-family are adopted.....both scenarios are, I believe, being looked at.....

Believe that Geni is trying to fight a number of battles at once.....prefix and the ever argumentative 'maiden name' situation appear to be at the forefront.....along with a side list of alternate names (which could be used for research call up)....

We all suffer from ' want it yesterday'....me included....BUT there have been quite a few enhancements over the last few months that are steps to clarifying problems...lets just let Geni know what to work on and give them a little time to get it done.

Wiser words were never spoken Fay! Thank you.

James, if it makes you feel any better, for England I also treat "de Williams" as a surname but topographics in the suffix field. I also put titles in the suffix field until Geni has a title soluton.

Can we all take a pause and at least AGREE that the price of gas is too high???

Fay, wishful thinking.. we can't have it that easy. Nope price of gas.. it's too low.. if it was higher someone would come up with a credible alternative fuel source.. ;-)

Great addition Fay. The economy is really more worrisome than maiden names and married surnames :)

Fay

I live in a city for a reason! Did I see $4.65/ gallon on the news or was that a naming conventions nightmare I was having? :>

I paid nearly $70 the last time I filled up my tank.

In protest I'm not going to mow my grass, gas costs to much!

My other half pays over £70 for a tank of Deisel here but if prices were TOO high Mau is right a credible replacement would be found and in the meantime people would drive less. I don't drive at all for the record.

We are driving around Ireland next month where the price of gas is now $8.50 per gallon! Hope we get a car with good gas mileage.

Just a little more humor: Last night I put in some pictures of a cruise my mother and her friend took to Bermuda and on the back of one of the pictures was the notation that they paid eleven cents for a ferry ride to the capitol! And fortunately or unfortunately, I'm old enough to remember when gas was 25 cents a gallon.

And here's another question to add to the maiden/last name discussion: What about people (like me) who have been married more than once? You have the option of listing something like ten partners or spouses, should ALL of your surnames be listed somewhere visible?

I'm living in one of the worlds most expensive countries, and I pay around US $10 for diesel and US $10.50 for gasoline. And Norway is producing a lot of gas, gasoline and diesel. I lived in Daytona Beach in 1990-91 and paid around $ 0.99 pr. gallon for gasoline.

So, Fay. I agree that the price of gas and diesel is way too high.

And the credible alternatives to gasoline has probably allready been found, it's just that the big gas companies has bought the patents and are not willing to develope/produce an alternative product as long as there are gasoline, diesel and gas deposits left.

The Maiden name of course never changes, the last name as you have it now and your names with your other married names in the "Personal" as a nickname (nicknames are picked up in a search as the same as your "other" names are)

Judi, there is always a choice however not always an easy choice. As a conservationist (my other volunteer hat) I find it amazing that people in my small town drive their children to school when every house in town is easy walking distance to the school. They and their children are missing out on so much doing this and I'm sure they would chime in 'yes, petrol costs are too high'.

oops, this was supposed to be light relief wasn't it? Sorry.

Terry I don't know what town you live in but in my town almost no one lives within walking distance of a school any more. Years ago we did but the towns have closed and consolidated school so the kids have a lot further to travel plus in the winter the sidewalks aren't always cleared and they are lucky they don't get run over walking to school.Right in my area there use to be three walking distance school . All are gone. All of Clftondale and East Saugus have to go to one school . All of Saugus center is in one school. and so on. We only have one Jr high and one high school. Plus some kids have to get across rt one to get to these school. No school in North saugs, it's now an office condo. So most kids especially in the winter would have a problem plus many parents are afraid of kidnapping and other problems. Hell, even most of the doctors are out of town, This is a one library, one police station , two fire house( sometime) when the money runs out we are down to one fire house and only one reg cemetery and we're running out of room.

PS Saugus is a large small town. About 30 thousand but we are still have a small town. mind set even thou rt one runs right though us.Oh I forgot One Town Hall and we still have a 50 member Town Meeting.

Another thing we only have a few stop lights , no movie theater and no hospital! And most everyone knows each other if you are old timers. New people we might not know but we will once we meet you. We have one food bank for the poor. It's housed at my church.

PS gas down the street from me is now #3.74 a gal. Have to earn gas points at the local food store to save on it. Last time I saved 90 cent per gal..

Everyone - I'm sure Judith knows this well :) but the town she's referring to was settled in 1629. The "Mayflower" arrived in 1620/21.

Glad to hear it hasn't changed much in coming on 400 years Judith!

Actually it has. Route use to be all woods. Now it's all built up for the most part. Everyone thinks we are rout one but in reality we are still small town. We were the third plantation before becoming Lynn for awhile. We were huge. Much smaller now. We do have some orginal families here with Native American connections. We have one of the oldest Town meeting with 50m rep. but the public is allow to speak but not vote. We have a Town Manager and selectmen rather than a Mayor and Aldermen, The orginal church of the third parrish still exsit but not in the same place. We like it this way for the most part Except we would like some of the woods bacl, but that ain't gonna happen so we are trying to save what we have left.10 men from Saugus went down to the cape area and settled down there. I'd tell you what town but I am drawing a blank at the moment. One of the families who went down there were the Wings. Some Wings are still living in Saugus. The Saugus Iron Works is the oldest Successfull Iron Works in the colonies. Now it's a Federal Hist. site . I am not sure Erica if you are serious or being sarcastic. But I like it here even with all the changes. We still only have a few liquare stores and no bars and we can not sell beer or wine in our grocery stores. We use to have a country western bar called The Blue Star. lots of fun. Sometime a little ruff but you could go there alone and still have fun and come home in one piece. Been here all my life, as was mu mother, grandfather , greatgrandfather ete. Once owned the Saugus iron Works back in the late 1600's and early 1700's and all the land that went with it. My ancestor sold it to my cousins ancestor and the rest is history. She was a select woman, my uncle was constable, town meeting member and housing authory member and I was a town meeting member. Cousin family in all the politc over the years. What can I saw we were born and probably will die here. If this bothers people Tough tiddle winks! I am sure others in geni have the same story in their towns and cities.

Rem you are correct in what you say about the big oil companies and big money. Don't see much change in the future. Lots of old technology and new technology out there but getting them implement them is another story. We know they aren't going nuclear any time too soon after what happened in Japan. Windmills are one way but not enough. Conserving might help somewhat. Someone needs to come up with something feasible and soon or we are all in deep do do!

Sorry that should have read Remi. Hit the wrong letter!

No I was being serious Judith, and I loved your story about the town. That was great, thank you very much.

I lived in and around Boston area for a few years. I was trying to picture Saugus in my mind and was drawing a blank - Route 1 was I guess kind of drive through area for me when I worked in Framingham. I wish now I had taken the time to go exploring more.